It’s a Beautiful Life (oh-oh-ooo-h)

Did you just blink and wake up to realize it is the SECOND week in September? OK, cool. Me too. If I summed up everything I’m feeling right now, it would all ladder up to transition. Between straddling life in two cities, being in a thrilling and fulfilling relationship and paving a new path professionally, I’m experiencing the intense in-progress and unknown. And legitimately struggling to come to terms with the fact that it is September. September in Chicago is a transition in itself between the ease of summer and the hustle of the rest of the year. I’m still in the mood for easy and laid back but the morning air and earlier sunset reminds me that the window is dwindling. While I’m sorting out the feels, I’m also getting my fall beauty on. This is the fun part of it all! I’ve got a new color on my lips, appointment with my hair stylist on the books and am testing out some new treats.

Problem: summer Fridays are officially ov-er and I’ve been wearing pretty much the same shiny pot of lip color all summer long. Solution: Try a fiery new lip color to last through a full work day, including the multiple coffee runs and an UberEats delivery. CoverGirl Outlast Longwear Lipstick in Fireball (#910) fits the bill, for about 16 hours to be precise.

Problem: the sun is setting earlier. As in right on my forehead when I’m heading to the gym after work. While I can’t negotiate the solar equinox, I can pump up my moisturizer with SPF before I hit the pavement. I usually wash my face before getting my sweat on and go bare to the gym save a little moisturizer. Olay has you covered with the Total Effects Feather Weight Moisturizer SPF 15, it has Olay’s Solar Sheer Technology to protect against UVB and UVA rays. Plus, I really appreciate the air pump packaging here – no need to dig your hands into a jar.

Problem: I have no idea what to do with mine. Grow or cut? Continue balayage or go for a glaze? I may not know yet but I am excited about what Pantene is doing today. It’s National Donate Your Hair Day and Pantene is issuing what they’re calling the #8or8 challenge. In 2008, when my hair was about a foot longer, I chopped it all off and mailed in a ponytail of my hair to the Beautiful Lengths campaign. I love this program – they create free, real hair wigs for women who have lost theirs due to cancer treatments. Beautiful Lengths has been around since 2006 and received more than 800,000 donations. It takes a minimum of 8 ponytails to create one wig, so every donation is really important. Today, Pantene is encouraging people to donate 8 inches, provided you have and want to do the chop, or donate $8 to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths Fund. My hair isn’t even scraping my shoulders so my support will be pledged with a donation! I’m all for women feeling like they have a piece of themselves again as they go through what must be the hardest transition of all. And, as I suds’d my hair up in the shower with the Beautiful Lengths Shampoo and Conditioner this morning and let my mind wander, I felt like the luckiest girl to be able to take on so much new in life.

Let’s continue this discussion over on Instagram — > there’s something to be had from my friends at P&G Beauty! Who, p.s., I will be working with the next 10 months to tackle the ups and downs of beauty in Chicago.

This post was sponsored by P&G Beauty. Thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. As always, thank you for supporting the brands that support 312 Beauty.